Apparatus for and method of transporting and stacking groups of flat articles and moving the group stacks to another location

ABSTRACT

A plurality of flat substantially similar articles such as meat patties which have been formed from an elongated cylindrical meat log of sausage or hamburger are deposited onto one or more parallel conveyors and then advanced in a co-planer and end to end relationship through a series of lift stations where predetermined numbers of paddies are divided into individual groups and each group of paddies is moved onto a carrier member and advanced one at a time by a shuttle to a stacking station. There each group is deposited onto each preceding group until a predetermined number of groups has been vertically stacked after which the entire stack is moved to a conveyor for further processing. The lifting stations prevent the articles from being pressed together or shingling one on top the other thereby avoiding article damage during processing, and servo motors enhance the speed and efficiency of the operation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention is directed to an apparatus for and amethod of loading flat articles such as meat paddies in a suitableapparatus and, more particularly, to collecting freshly cut meat paddiesfrom parallel moving conveyers so that a group of a predetermined numberof paddies is discharged from a product release station, sequentiallypositioned in a stack with other groups of paddies on an elevatorassembly, discharged in stack formation onto a moving conveyor on whichthe stacks are supported and packaged in shipping or storagereceptacles.

[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0004] The standard apparatus for accumulating, stacking and packagingmeat paddies is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,855 issued Dec. 2,1980, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Thismachine has been used for a considerable period of time in the industryand has functioned adequately, however there are some features of themachine that restrict its output because of product distortion occurringwhen increased conveyor speeds are employed. This machine is alsolimited by the use of conventional conveyors that cannot beinstantaneously started or stopped or move products in more than onedirection. Thus there is a pronounced need for an improved machine toovercome these deficiencies, and it is to that need that the presentinvention is directed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The present invention is directed to an apparatus for and methodof continuously accumulating a plurality of similarly sized preformedflat articles such as meat paddies where individual paddies are receivedfrom slicing stations and advanced in parallel and individuallycontrolled conveyors to one or more lift stations each of which isselectively operable to elevate a number of paddies away from the movingconveyors and hold them in a stationary position until a desiredoccurrence takes place. Elevating a number of paddies at lift stationsslows overall movement of the paddies which reduces pressure on thepaddies normally arising when they collide and enables the formation ofthe paddies into individual, separated groups of paddies at a product(group) release station. Each group is then engaged by a shuttle andadvanced to an elevator assembly. At the elevator assembly, they arelowered, group-by-group, so that each individual group is placed on anexisting, building stack of groups or begins the formation of a newstack of groups until a predetermined number of groups, each containingthe same number of patties, have completed the stack. When thepredetermined number of paddy groups (15-20, for example) areaccumulated in a stackproducts, the group stack is moved from theelevator assembly, deposited on a conveyor and advanced to a packingstation where an operator lowers a container over the group stack andcompletes the packaging procedure.

[0006] The operating speed of the invention is significantly greaterthan that of its mechanical predecessor because of the use of servomotors in all movement sensitive locations. These servo motors can beoperated to instantaneously stop, start or reverse direction of aconveyor or moving carrier. Additional machine operating speed andefficiency is achieved by use of a shuttle or transversing belt whichfirst receives a group of paddies on a carrier member such as a sheet ofpaper, moves both to an elevator station and thereafter instantaneouslywithdraws to permit the group and carrier member to nest upon thepreviously deposited group and carrier member. The elevator is loweredin increments approximately equal to the thickness of a single articleand carrier member until the predetermined number of groups haveaccumulated in the stack.

[0007] The lift stations also enable the machine to operate fasterwithout paddy damage because they can lift a number of patties at aparticular lift station off the parallel conveyors to terminate paddymovement. Sensors in each conveyor sense the absence of a paddy at avacant paddy position, and the lift station nearest the paddy entrancestation will immediately lower so that more paddies engage the conveyorand move toward the vacant paddy location.

[0008] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide anapparatus for and a method of bulk loading a substantially continuoussupply of flat and circular paddies where each individual paddy issevered from an elongated cylindrical log of paddy meat, a predeterminednumber of paddies is formed into a group, and the formed groups arestacked and packaged in a rapid and efficient manner heretoforeunachievable in the art without damage or distortion to the paddies.

[0009] Thus there has been outlined the more important features of theinvention in order that the detailed description that follows may bebetter understood and in order that the present contribution to the artmay be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features ofthe invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form thesubject matter of the claims appended hereto. In that respect, beforeexplaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is tobe understood that the invention is not limited in its arrangement ofthe components set forth in the following description and illustrated inthe drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of beingpracticed and carried out in various ways.

[0010] It is also to be understood that the phraseology and terminologyemployed herein are for the purpose of description and should not beregarded as limiting in any respect. Those skilled in the art willappreciate that the concept upon which this disclosure is based mayreadily be utilized as a basis for designing other structures, methodsand systems for carrying out the several purposes of this development.It is important that the claims be regarded as including such equivalentmethods and products resulting therefrom that do not depart from thespirit and scope of the present invention. The application is neitherintended to define the invention, which is measured by its claims, norto limit its scope in any way.

[0011] Thus, the objects of the invention set forth above, along withthe various features of novelty which characterize the invention, arenoted with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part ofthis disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, itsoperating advantages and the specific results obtained by its use,reference should be made to the following detailed specification takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters ofreference designate like parts throughout the several views.

[0012] The drawings are included to provide a further understanding ofthe invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of thisspecification. They illustrate embodiments of the invention and,together with their description, serve to explain the principles of theinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013]FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the collecting and groupforming machine of the present invention;

[0014]FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

[0015]FIG. 3 is a side elevational and fragmentary view of the front orbeginning end of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 which contains thesecond and third lift stations;

[0016]FIG. 4 is a side elevational, slightly enlarged and fragmentaryview of the apparatus shown in FIG. 3;

[0017]FIG. 5 is a first end elevational and schematic view of the firstor final lift station wherein products have been raised, disengaged fromthe conveyor belt and held in a stationary condition;

[0018]FIG. 6 is a second end elevational and schematic view of the firstor final lift station wherein products have been raised, disengaged fromthe conveyor belt and held in a stationary condition;

[0019]FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the product stop/releasestation;

[0020]FIG. 8 is an end elevational view of the components shown in FIG.7 illustrating the traversing belt in the group and carrier memberreceiving position and wherein a receptive platform or elevator A is ina position to receive a group and carrier member;

[0021]FIG. 9 is an end elevational and schematic view of platform A in araised position to receive additional carrier members and paddy groups;

[0022]FIG. 10 is an end elevational and schematic view of carrier memberreceptive platform A in a lower position during formation of a groupstack;

[0023]FIG. 11 is an end elevational and schematic view of the elevatorassembly with platform A moved to its lowest position to complete agroup stack;

[0024]FIG. 12 is an end elevational and schematic view of the elevatorassembly with platform A moving toward the raised position and platformB moved to the active raised position to begin another paddy stack asrecited in the n description of FIGS. 9-11;

[0025]FIG. 13 is a plan view of the product release station shown inFIG. 7; and

[0026]FIG. 14 is a side elevational, schematic view of the productrelease station shown in FIG. 7 with a blown up view of the productstop/release mechanism.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0027] Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 1, theapparatus for sequentially transporting, accumulating and stacking apredetermined number of groups of individual flat paddies generallydesignated 20 has a frame 22 supporting the components subsequently tobe described at a predetermined location above floor 24. The frontloading end of machine 20 shown generally as 26 is fed by a conventionalslicer of the type which includes rotating blades adapted tocontinuously sever a plurality of slices from an elongated substantiallycylindrical meat log such as sausage or hamburger. Since the slicer isof conventional construction, it is not shown, it being understood thatsuch devices are commercially available for such use in the meat packingindustry.

[0028] An accumulating and advancing section of the machine is showngenerally as 28 and includes a third lift station 30, the details ofwhich are shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. Third lift station 30 has aplurality of rails 32 (FIG. 3) that are slidably displaceable byappropriate displacing means such as air or fluid cylinders 34. In FIG.5, two parallel conveyors 48, 50 are formed by rails 32 positionedbetween a number of conveyor strands 36 and movable with respect theretoto form third lift station 30. Rails 32 have slots 41 cooperating withlugs 40 that raise rails 32 and lift station 30 formed thereby betweenconveyor strands 36 to hold a number of paddies in a raised andstationary condition.

[0029] The lift stations normally operation together with all stationsraising and lowering at the same time. They serve to control the paddyflow, prevent products from being pressed together and perhaps shinglingone on top of the other, and avoid product distortion because ofpressure created when paddies collide or cling together. When paddiesare urged against each other, a temperature rise caused by frictionbuilds pressure within the paddy mass resulting in product damage ordistortion. Thus the lift stations control the driving force of thepaddies to minimize contact and temperature rise.

[0030] Third lift station 30 has two independent lane lifts that arecontrolled by a sensor 46 in each lane 48, 50. When a missing paddy issensed by sensor 46, lift station 30 (made up of rails 32 and conveyorstrands 36) lowers rails 32 and products are engaged by conveyor strands36 to move products into the sensed vacant paddy spaces. The need tosupply both lanes 48, 50 with the required amount of paddies usuallyaverages out with the rate of rejected or unacceptable paddies. There isa need to maintain close balance of paddy flow in lanes 48, 50. If apaddy is sensed to be absent at a location in lane 50, the lane 50portion of third lift station 30 will lower out of its normal cycle.This occurs when the normal reject rate increases in one of lanes 48, 50or the other. If the lane sensor or lane sensors 46 call for paddiesover an amount of time that effects normal operation of the machine, themachine will go to a cycle stop position. This is because a fixeddistance of product is required to operate in a normal condition. In thecycle stop mode, first and second lift stations 38, 40 are up andstop/release mechanism 42 is in the stop position. Third lift station 30is up or down depending upon the sensors. The machine will start andcycle normally once all lanes are satisfied with required productscontinuously supplied by the slicing machine. Conveyor strands 36 runcontinuously.

[0031] First left station 38, when activated, lifts a predeterminednumber of patties forming a group of paddies. Second lift station andthird lift station 30 lift at the same time to keep pressure off firstlift station 38. If products are moving left to right, the stop/releasemechanism is located to the right of first lift station 38. The distanced (FIG. 13) between stop/release mechanism 42 and first lift station 38is determined by the amount of paddies required to form one group ofpaddies.

[0032] From first lift station 38, groups of paddies move to a conveyor52 positioned under a cooperating belt 54 both of which engage and drivepaddy groups horizontally to the product stop/release station showngenerally as 56. Belt 54 can be slowed to make certain that paddies arenot dislodged or move upon arrival at product stop/release station 56.Station 56 includes a rotatable paddle wheel 58 with a single paddle 60affixed to a supporting hub 62 all of which make up stop/releasemechanism 42. Paddle 60 serves as a stop mechanism 42 when a groupmoving on conveyer 52 encounters it in the stop or down position asshown in FIG. 14. Movement of the group ceases momentarily until theelevator assembly shown generally as 64 and shuttle 66 are ready toreceive it. At that time paddle 60 releases the group and is rotated 360degrees and at a speed to reach another stop position precisely in themiddle of the separation or gap between groups created when the releasedgroup moves just slightly before the first station lift is lowered andthe group behind the released group is moved toward stop/release station56. When paddle 60 returns to the stop position, second and first liftstations 40, 38 will lower. This step is repeated continuously so longas apparatus 20 is active.

[0033] Shuttle 66 is a multi-hinged, rectangular, preferably plasticslat grid capable of rapid reciprocatory movement from a group pickuplocation to the elevator assembly 64. It is servo motor driven and movesforwardly toward elevator assembly 64 a distance of 15½ inches in 0.265second and then instantaneously reverses and moves through the 15⅕inch-distance again in 0.09 second.

[0034] Rolls of paper 68 are mounted on frame 22 as shown in FIG. 1, anda web 70 from one roll is fed upwardly through driving and cuttingelements 73 that cut the web into sheets, each of which forms a carriermember 71 of a preselected size compatible with the size of the group.The sheets 71 are moved one by one to shuttle 66, the released paddygroup is moved onto sheet 71 and shuttle 66 all of which are then moveddirectly to a first platform A of elevator assembly 64. As shuttle 66and carrier sheet 71 and the released group reach the appropriateposition over platform A, shuttle 66 is quickly withdrawn by the actionof the servo motor, and sheet 71 and the carried group slide off andnest on platform A either as a first entry of a new stack or on top ofpreviously positioned similar sheets and groups building a stack.

[0035] Platforms A and B are initially presented in a fully elevatedposition as shown in FIG. 9. Each time a group and sheet 71 aredeposited, the active elevator platform (A in FIGS. 9-12) will belowered a distance equal to the thickness of a group and sheet 71 inprecise increments until a predetermined number of groups, eachsupported by a sheet 71, forms a vertical stack and platform A is in theposition shown in FIG. 11. Platform A is then quickly withdrawnrearwardly and deposits the entire stack of groups and sheets onto anoutfeed conveyor 75 where packaging takes place by, for example,lowering an inverted carton over the group stack, turning the cartonover and closing the side and end flaps. The packaged group stack is nowready for refrigeration, storage or delivery.

[0036] In the preferred embodiment of the invention, elevator assembly64 comprises a left operative section designated platform A and a rightoperative section designated platform B which are identical in structureand motion, both of the sections being suitably counter balanced. Whenthe left section of elevator assembly 64 is up with platform A elevatedand extending outwardly to accept a sequence of group-laden carriermembers, platform B of the right section is located in a fully elevatedbut inoperative position, having been elevated from its lower mostretracted to its fully raised position. In this position platform B ispoised for rapid movement to the left. The advance of platform B occurssimultaneously with the retraction of platform A and these steps arecontinuously repeated.

[0037] The input speed of belt 42 and conveyor strands 36 is twice thespeed of the highest number of product groups required per minute. Thefunctions necessary to the present invention to control cycle time,settings to adjust for product thickness, group size and others arepreferably supplied by a Human Machine Interface (“HMI”), a programmablecontroller well known in the art. A very satisfactory unit for thepresent invention is produced by CTC Parker Automation of Milford, Ohio.

[0038] From the detailed description, it can be seen that an apparatusfor and method of transporting and stacking groups of flat articles andremoving the groups to a remote location has been provided that willmeet all of the advantages of prior art devices and offer additionaladvantages not heretofore achievable. With respect to the invention, theoptimum dimensional relationship to the parts of the invention includingvariations in size, materials, shape, form, function, and manner ofoperation, use and assembly are deemed readily apparent to those skilledin the art, and all equivalent relationships illustrated in the drawingsand described in the specification are intended to be encompassedherein.

[0039] The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of theprinciples of the invention. Numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, and it is not desired tolimit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed. All suitable modifications and equivalents that fall withinthe scope of the appended claims are deemed within the present inventiveconcept.

What is claimed is:
 1. Apparatus for collecting meat paddies, assemblingmeat paddies into groups and moving the assembled groups to be packagedcomprising: one or more individually controlled conveyors havingcontinuous single paddy receiving receptacles to collect similarly sizedmeat paddies in the paddy receiving receptacles received from a paddysource; a third lift station extending across the one or more conveyors;sensor means in the one or more conveyors positioned to detect theabsence of a paddy at one or more paddy receiving receptacles; thirdlift station control means responsive to the sensor means to detect theabsence of a paddy in the paddy receiving receptacles and activate andlower the third lift station; a second lift station adjacent the sensorand extending across the one or more conveyors; a first lift stationadjacent the second lift station and extending across the one or moreconveyors; a paddy stop/release station adjacent the first lift stationhaving a rotatable paddle wheel extending across the one or moreconveyors, the paddle wheel becoming a paddy stop when in the downposition and rotatable thereafter to permit paddy flow and becomepositioned as a paddy stop for the trailing paddies; second and firstlift station and paddy/stop release station control means operable toraise and lower the second and first lift station to control paddy flowand form a group of paddies having a selected number of paddies,interrupt paddy flow when the moving paddy group engages the paddlewheel paddy stop and rotate the paddle wheel 360 degrees to restorepaddy flow and reposition the paddle wheel in front of the trailingpaddy group; an elevator assembly; and a shuttle movable from the paddystop to the elevator assembly and back, the shuttle cooperativelyreceiving the paddy group from the paddy stop and depositing the paddygroup at the elevator assembly.
 2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1wherein the elevator assembly has one or more elevators receiving thepaddy group from the shuttle, lowering the paddy group in incrementaldistances equal to the thickness of a paddy group as subsequent paddygroups are received from the shuttle until a chosen number of paddygroups form a stack, and moving the stack of groups to an outfeedconveyor for packaging.
 3. Apparatus for collecting meat paddies,forming meat paddies into groups and moving the formed groups to bepackaged comprising: one or more individually controlled conveyorshaving single paddy receiving receptacles to collect similarly sizedmeat paddies from a paddy source; sensor means in the one or moreconveyors positioned to detect the absence of paddies in the singlepaddy receiving receptacles; one or more lift stations extending acrossthe one or more conveyors; a paddy stop/release station adjacent the oneor more lift stations having a rotatable paddle wheel extending acrossthe one or more conveyers, the paddle wheel becoming a paddy stop whenin the down position and rotatable thereafter to permit paddy movementand become positioned as a paddy stop for subsequent paddy groups; oneor more lift station and paddy stop/release station control meansresponsive to the sensor means to detect the absence of paddies in thepaddy receiving receptacles and cause the one or more lift stations tolower, the sensor means operable to raise and lower the one or more liftstations to control paddy flow and form a group having a selected numberof paddies, interrupt paddy flow when the moving paddy group engages thepaddle wheel paddy stop, and rotate the paddle wheel 360 degrees torestore paddy flow and reposition the paddle wheel in front of thetrailing paddy group; an elevator assembly; and a shuttle movable fromthe paddy stop to the elevator assembly and back, the shuttlecooperatively receiving the paddy group from the paddy stop anddepositing the paddy group at the elevator assembly.
 4. The apparatus asclaimed in claim 3 wherein the elevator assembly has one or moreelevators receiving the paddy group from the shuttle, lowering the paddygroup in incremental distances equal to the thickness of the paddy groupas subsequent paddy groups are received from the shuttle until a chosennumber of groups form a stack, and moving the stack of groups to anoutfeed conveyor for subsequent packaging.
 5. The apparatus as claimedin claim 1 further comprising: a paper source; cutting means formingpaper sheets and advancing the formed sheets one by one to the shuttleand under the paddy group moving onto the shuttle.
 6. The apparatus asclaimed in claim 2 further comprising: a paper source; cutting meansforming paper sheets and advancing the formed sheets one by one to theshuttle and under the paddy group moving on to the shuttle.
 7. Theapparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein the third lift is activated andlowered when an absence of a paddy is detected by the sensor means toassure rapid flow of paddies from the paddy source to fill the vacantreceptacles.
 8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein a gap iscreated between the group released by the paddle wheel paddy stop andthe group held by the first lift station before it is lowered whichreceives the rotated paddle wheel paddy stop in the down position.
 9. Amethod of collecting meat paddies, assembling meat paddies into groupsand moving the assembled groups to be packaged comprising the steps of:advancing at least two columns of similarly sized meat paddies in an endto end relationship along a continuous path of travel from a paddysource; detecting missing paddies separately in the at least two columnsand providing new paddies for those paddies detected missing; adjustingthe movement, compaction and arrangement of the moving paddies to formpaddy groups each having a preselected number of paddies; transportingthe paddy groups group by group to a group stacking location; forming astack of paddy groups group by group; moving the formed group stack fromthe group stacking location to another location for further processing.10. The process as claimed in claim 9 wherein the paddies are advancedon at least two conveyors, the missing paddies are detected byseparately operated sensors in the at least two computers, the missingpaddies are replaced with the assistance of a lifting station, thegroups are formed by adjusting the movement, compaction and arrangementof the moving paddies on one or more lifting stages, the formed groupsare advanced group by group by the operation of a stop/releasemechanism, and the stack forming means is an elevator assembly.